Tire-building machine.



W. J. STEIIILI.'v

TIRE BUILDING MACHINE. A APPLICATION FILED sPT.24. IIIIs.

n III W/T/VESS:

,'Patentea 3311.1,1918- REGENnuarI'Ne COMPANY, CORPORATIONINDIANA TIQRnfBUIIJnINGMAdHINE. l'

Lasetcsa.-

- To' all whomt 'may concern:

Be it'kn'own'- that I, WILLIAM 'JQ .Sfr-ritmi,V

' acitizen of the United Sta'tes ,'"residiiig lat ,i v'Elmhurst Heights, L. l," countyofaQueensf- ".5 Statejof New Yorkthaveinvented, i

new and useful ,Improvements `in Tirer Machines, `of `which the following ul clea'r, A and exact description.

V'ention relatesl to tire-building 4gli) hasfor an objectto provide mean eby a definite percentage of stretch ven to the fabric-'as it passes'to further object is l the tire 4forming co i l aintaining the per- "f'provide means `f ious plies..` n the manufacture of tires it .is customto produce'a longitudinal stretch cenly in thel flat fabric to conform the saine to the rounded' surface of the core. t'present this is accomplished in .various v ways, as'for'instance, by retarding the roll feeding the fabric with a friction brake,

- or by a positive. reduction drive of the feeding roll either from the core shaft or from the surface of the carcass.

' ldetlarding the feeding not satisfactory because` a constant tension is produced on the fabric,'.hencev the stretch 3 0 in the outer plies ofthe carcass will be s' greaterA than that in the inner plies due to the increased diameter of successiveplies exert-` ing a corresponding increased pull upon the tensioned'fabric. A positive reduction drive between f IDCFQS-QS e-stretch of each successive ply gs'nialllpercentage over' that'of the un- .'derne'ath. one owing to the increased -di- -ameter of thev successive plies. 'drive of 'the feeding roll from a friction wheel on vthe surface of the carcass nearly eliminates the increased stretch' in tlie'outerv plies. but due to slip between the friction Wheel and carcass the desired stretch in each ply is not positively assured. neither is an identical stretch produced throughout vall the various plies.

. To obviate thefabove disadvantages the present invention provides means for positively7 tensioning the fabric to a predetermined degree for the initial layer to obtain a definitepercentage Vof `stretchtherein= and provides means" 'for' positively and .automatically varying 'the tension to step increments correspondingjo increased d1'- crt-ain ageof stretch `id'eirit-ical throughout the carcass. roll by a brake is lcore shaft and feeding roll also A :positivel 'sp'eeifia'tigf Letters Patent. .patefeagan1gig Applications@ spteiiie'r 24.1915; 'sei-iai'Nasagsi-.I i A I f .-1 STEINLEQOFELMHUBST HEIGHTS, :ii-EWR tronic, iissienon.- 'no iRuBBEn anieters of tl'ie's'uc'cessive; plies-to main-vl.

tain said definite predetermined tension throughout th'e successive plies.

Preferably; the invention providesiste-py cones and 4an ineivtensibleI connector which control. the rotationof the fabricvfee'dingI roll'. :The fabric. AWhile vbeing takenon to the core. tends to rotate.thefeedingroll at a speed equal to'that of ythesurfacespeed of the core. The inextensible connector unwinding from one step cone and vv-indingup on the other step '.conelg allovvsl the fabric feeding roll onlyto rotate at a defini-te speed 'less than the surface 'speed-.of the core.

.Since the fabric-is extensibleg'and the connector is inextensible. tliefabric. receives 'a defi-` nitefstretcli equal to thediifereiice between the length ofthe `connector Whiclithe unwindi'ng cone lets offaii'd the particular circum-.v

ference of the carcass, :upon vvhich a ply is being laid. The progressively changing vdiametersof the steps. of .the cone effect a.

speeding up .of the feedi .n4 z v roll automati-: cally at'tlie completion of each.` ply vto conipensate for theincreased diameter of4 the. Asa result of 'th'ischanging of speed ratio to correspond: to thek position of i any particular ply inthe carcass. lthe stretch.

in the'fabric. is maintained identical throughout-the lvarious plies. j

The inventioncan be readily understood from the following description .taken in connection ivith the accompanying draw-l ing. in Which- Figure 1 is a plan vievv of. a tire building machine embodying my invention; 4

Fig. .2 is aside elevation `of the.l parts shovvn -in Fig. 1.

Referring noiv to thedraw'ingin which like characters ofrefeience designate similar parts, 10l designates a-ringrcore oftheusual `and vvell knoivn'type'vvhichis preferably 'removably secured to a spider' 1l thatis power driven through theinstrunientality ofa shaft 12 and drivenpulle)7 13, the shaft being revolubly supported in a bearing14v carried on a suitable frame 15.

A feeding-roll 16 for the fabric-is removably secured as shown at 17 upon a shaft 18 vwhich is supported for rotation upon asuitable frame 19. The roll has preferably ya surface configuration corresponding-to that of the surface configuration of the core and is preferably of the same diameter as the core. Preferably a continuous strip Aof bias m insane* vrubber treated fabric sufficient for a. sinn gie tireis wound upon the roll at the cuttiner machine to minimize handlinoof the 1 .e fabric ncfore it 1s built into tne carcass.

Aste cone 21 is fixed to the, ring core shaft 12 and' a step cone :22 fixed to the feeding roll shaft 18. inextensible connector, such as a cable 23 connects the cones positively for simultaneous rotation. The ends of the connector are securely fastened to their respective cones, and during rotation of the cone 21' on the core shaft the con-V nector will be let od' 4thereupon and spec-led on the cone Q2 on the feeding roll shaft.

ln operation, the end of the fabric strip 20is applied'to thering core to which it ad heres and during each revolution of the core aply of the fabric is drawn thereonto. The fabric thus forms a drive for the feeding roll. The ltendency of 'the fabric is to row tate the feeding roll at a speed equal to that of the surface speed of the core. oivever, as the inextensible,connector unwinds from the step cone 21, and winds up onthe step cone 22, it allows the feeding roll only to rotate at a definite speed less than 'the surface speed of the core. Ifhe fabric being eXtensible, 4and the connector being inextensible, the fabric receives a definite stretch equal to the difference betweenv the length of the connector which the unwinding cone lets off and the circumference of the core.

The steps on the cone 22 decrease progressively in diameter in al direction outwardly from the feeding roll, and are equal in number to the number of plies desired to be .laid on the core. The steps on the cone 2l increase in diameter progressively in a direction outwardly from the core and are equal in number to the steps `on the pulley 22. Guide grooves 26 and 27 are formed in the steps of the cones respectively and direct f the connector from one set of steps to the next succeeding set at the completion of each revolution made by the core in taking on the fabric.

At the completion of the first ply of fabric on the core, the connector will be automatically directed by the guide groove 'from the first set of steps to the next succeeding set of steps cnlthe cones thereby permitting of the roll. speeding up to deliver the fabric faster and thus compensate for the increased diameter of the first laid ply over that of the core itself. At the completion of the second` ply the connector is moved to the next suc ceeding set of steps, and so on until the desired number of plies have been laid. This changev in speed ratio to correspond to the position ofany particular ply in the carcass serves to maintain the stretch in the fabric identical throughout the various plies.

I do notlimitmyself to the use of a pair of step cones as. but one step cone may be employed, and in lieu of the other a cylindrical drum may be bstituted., Furthermore i .may .vary ythe proportions, position of the. steps., and make other changes in the con-` struction. of the cones themselves, where two cones are employed and may employ any construction of connectoren longas it is flexible and inextensible.

'l believe that l am the first to conceive of automatically and positively varying the delivery of fabric 'to a tire forming core in suoli manner that a predetermined definite stretch-will be positively produced throughout the various layers superposed on the core, and l' therefore consider that all and every apparatus accomplishing this result falls Within the scope of my invention.'

What is claimediis: l. A. tire building machine comprising a power driven. ring-core, a fabric feed roll 'adapted to be driven byl the' feeding of the fabric therefrom to the ring core, and means for positively retarding the speed ofthe feed rollfrelative to the ring core when the fabric is being applied, said means independently yoperating to increase lthe speed of said feed roll relative to the said ring.l

core at each revolution of the latter.

2. A tire building machine comprising a power driven ring core, a fabric' feed roll adapted to be driven by the feeding of the .fabric therefrom' to the ring core, and means feed roll relative to the ring core when the y fabric is being applied, said means operating independently of the fabric to increase the speed of said feed roll relative to the said ring core at each revolution of the latter.

4. A tire building machine embodying a power driven ring core, a fabric feeding roll, acone operatively connected with the core, a cone koperatively connected with the feeding roll, said cones tapering oppositely from l each other, and an inextensible flexible connectorA unwinding from the core cone and winding up on the feeding roll cone.

5. A tire `building machine embodying a power driven ring core, a fabric feedingroll, a step cone operatively connected with the core having steps which increase in diameter progressively in a direction outwardly'from the core, a step cone operatively connected with the feeding roll and having steps which decrease progressively in diameter in a dilil@ rection outwardly from the feeding roll, and 1 30 -eote cone and Winding up on 'the feed'li an inekten'siblecable -u-nwinding rm core, a step cone operatively connectedwit the eedingroll, an inextensible iexible connector nnwinding from the sore cone' glide. grooves -formed the steps o Adei' step cone to direct 'the connector from one set of steps to the next succeeding set..

ai; the completion of each .revolution made' l` by' the core'.

- -15 Signed at New York, N. Y., this 21 day of September, IV1915. v

.- STEINLE.-

Winding upi'lon-the feeding roll con lo 

